


Lioness

by padfootagain



Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Narnia, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-15 04:37:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16926639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/padfootagain/pseuds/padfootagain
Summary: Caspian quickly understands that you are stronger than you look. But as his feelings grow for you, a threat spreads across Narnia as well, and your life is soon at stake. Will he be fast enough to save you?





	1. Sword Fighting

**Author's Note:**

> Series complete! Fluff and little bit of angst. I hope you like it!

You knew Caspian was looking at you from afar. He had been doing more and more so these past few months. And even if he was trying to hide when he stared intensely at you, he was never particularly discreet. Often one of his advisers or guards would come out of the blue and make him jump, revealing his presence to you. Or sometimes he would simply froze as he saw you coming his way, as if he was transfixed, and it would always take him some time to finally resume his walk, acknowledging your presence with a shy smile, a nod and flushed cheeks.

But judging by the way he never dared to talk to you alone, you guessed that he was not very good at seeing that you were doing just the same whenever he was around.

So when you saw him training in the gardens with one of his men, sweaty with the duel, you merely sat down on a bench, and watched him fight from afar. You watched him as he swung his sword, blocking every attack of his opponent. You watched him as he sped up the pace until the soldier fell backwards on the ground, leaving him defenceless.

You heard his laugh ring through the air, shuttering upon the bushes and the roses all around you, as he helped the soldier up again.

But you froze when the soldier leaned towards the young King, and Caspian turned towards you.

You couldn’t help but slightly gasp. Although, when it came to this, you were more daring than Caspian.

So instead of fleeing back to the castle, you merely smiled at him.

He smiled back at you, before listening to the soldier again. And suddenly, he was shaking frantically his head, looking terrified.

When he turned again towards you, he seemed hesitant.

You saw the man behind him slightly push him forward, and…

…Caspian started to walk towards you.

You kept your composure, your smile widening as he advanced slowly towards you. You reckoned it was about to be the first time he would talk to you in private, out of a feast or a group of friends.

“Good afternoon, Lady Y/N” he breathed as he finally stood before you.

“Good afternoon, Sire.”

“It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?”

You couldn’t hide your amusement at the sight of him. Here he was, King of Narnia, he had led men into fierce battles, and travelled all around his Kingdom, he was about to travel across the sea, judging by the rumours about this boat he was building…

..And he was all shy and hesitant when it came to talk to a woman?

“It’s a lovely day indeed,” you nodded.

He suddenly noticed the book that rested on your knees.

“What are you reading?”

You read the title out loud.

“ _Of Narnia and Magic : between truth and legends._ ”

“It’s a good one,” he nodded.

“Have you read it?”

He nodded again.

“A long time ago. My professor made me read it. I liked it very much.”

You both exchanged a smile, but he didn’t seem willing to ask you another question, so you took the matter of the conversation into your own hands.

“You seem to be very skilled with a blade, Your Highness.”

He shook his head, wincing.

“Please… Caspian will do just fine.”

You stared intensely at him.

“You seem to be very skilled with a blade, _Caspian_ ,” you repeated, a bright grin on your face.

“Thank you,” he smiled. “I could teach you a thing or two, if you’d like.”

“What makes you think that you would have anything to teach me?” you replied, raising an amused eyebrow.

“You know how to fight?” he asked, surprised.

“My father taught me.”

He grinned.

“I guess I should be careful not to make you angry, then.”

“I would not advise it.”

You both laughed. But he seemed suddenly nervous again.

“I…” he stuttered. “There is a party set for the Anniversary of the Coronation next week.”

“I know, and I’m sure it will be spectacular,” you nodded.

“I… I was wondering…” he breathed, staring intensely into your eyes. “Would you… would you attend the party… with me?”

Your eyes widened slightly in surprise, and he blushed fiercely, looking down at his boots.

“Unless… you would prefer to go with someone else,” he added softly.

“I don’t reckon I could say no to my King,” you joked.

But when he looked up at you again, he was deadly serious.

“It is not a matter you should think about as a command. It will never be. You are the only judge in this matter. Me being a King has nothing to do with my demand, and should not stop you from refusing if it is what you wish to do.”

You smiled… and when an idea suddenly popped up into your mind, a mischievous glint suddenly shined in your eyes.

“What if we fought for that?” you proposed, nodding towards his sword.

He frowned.

“You mean? Sword fighting?”

You nodded.

“If you win, I’ll go to the ball with you.”

“And if I lose?”

“Then you’ll have to answer a question of mine.”

“Which is?”

“That’s a surprise.”

He laughed, apparently amused.

“Alright,” he nodded, still smiling. “Let’s do it.”

You stood up, leaving the book on the bench, and strode towards the spot where Caspian had been training.

You picked up the heavy sword from the ground, and you took off your shoes. He raised an eyebrow.

“These shoes are very uncomfortable,” you answered to his surprised expression.

You smiled at the feeling of the soft grass tickling your feet, looking at your toes for a few seconds, before looking up at Caspian again.

He was staring at you with a dreamy smile on his lips.

“So? Do we fight then?” you asked.

He laughed.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked you. “I wouldn’t like you to hurt yourself.”

“My father has always told me never to underestimate my opponent,” you replied.

“A wise man indeed.”

“He is.”

You got into position, raising your sword before you, and Caspian did the same, shrugging.

He gave your sword one or two hits, but you could feel that he was scared to use all his strength with you. He was scared to hurt you.

The poor man…

You used his hesitation to swung your sword in the air, and you almost disarmed him.

He smiled.

“I’m sorry, my Lady,” he told you as you both walked in circle. “It looks like I have underestimated you.”

“It looks like you have, indeed.”

And the next second you were both fiercely battling, hitting and blocking, and walking back and forth, and twirling, as if you were dancing a wild dance.

But you were the one who managed to place your blade upon his neck.

He grinned.

“I reckon that I have found even better swordsman than me,” he breathed.

You smiled, before lowering slowly your weapon.

“Looks like you have,” you teased.

You were a bit afraid of going too far, after all, he was your King.

But his smile only widened.

“So… what is this question of yours?” he asked you.

You bit down on your lower lip, but asked your question anyway.

“Why do you want me to come with you to the ball?” you asked. “Why are you always so shy around me?”

He looked down at the ground, his smile fading.

“That makes two questions, not one.”

“I think they both have the same answer, though.”

“If you already know the answer, why ask the questions?”

“Maybe I want to be sure that I’m not wrong about this answer.”

He cleared his throat, uncomfortably shifting his weight from one leg to the other, still not daring to look at you.

“I… I like your company,” he said, his low voice just loud enough for you to catch his words. “I like spending time with you. But you make me nervous.”

“Why do I make you nervous?”

A small smile appeared on his face.

“Because you are wild, and reckless. You are not afraid to say what you think. And still… still you are gentle and kind. You are fierce and untameable… Much like a lioness.”

You saw his cheeks flush after so many confessions. He looked up at you, but you were smiling, blushing slightly as well.

“So… I’ve lost,” Caspian breathed. “Does that mean that you’re not going to come with me to the ball?”

Your smile turned into a grin.

“I would love to accompany you to the ball, Caspian.”

He grinned as well.

“Wonderful!” he breathed, barely able to believe that you had said yes.

You handed him your sword, and his fingers brushed yours as he took the weapon away from you, causing your heart to skip a beat.

“I am sorry, I have to take my book back to the library,” you said softly.

He nodded.

“Goodbye, Caspian.”

“Goodbye, my Lady.”

You laughed, walking towards the bench, and you turned towards him again when you picked up your book.

He was picking up the weapons that were splayed on the grass. You softly called his name.

“Caspian?”

He quickly turned towards you, silently encouraging you to continue.

You smiled.

“Y/N will do just fine.”

He grinned, and you walked away, not turning back to look at him again.

But you could feel his stare on you without turning around anyway…

Indeed, he watched as you were walking down the alley, disappearing behind the trees and bushes covered with flowers in blossom, until you were out of sight.

He closed his eyes, smiling as he breathed deeply the smell of flowers carried by the wind.

The air smelled like you.

And as he put back his sword in its sheath, he thought that he had never known a so sweet defeat as the one he had faced today.


	2. Dances

You had spent hours getting ready. You had never been so nervous in your life. You usually liked balls, it was alive and filled with music, and people were merry and danced…

But you were so… scared.

What if you misbehaved? What if you made a mistake and embarrassed both yourself and Caspian?

You checked your dress one last time in the mirror. It was a dark blue dress, long and decorated with flowers of gold and silver sewed into your corset and down the length of the velvet that hung around you, brushing the ground. You stared at your own eyes.

You were ready.

You had to go, or you would be late.

So you took a deep breath, summoning your courage, and you strode across your chamber and walked through the castle. You were supposed to find Caspian in the library, and you would walk together to the reception.

Your heart was beating so fast… you thought you were about to faint.

You slowly pushed the door of the library.

Caspian was already there, reading a book at the light of a dying candle. He was kingly dressed, golden and silvery threads embroidered in his clothes. His dark hair fell loosely around his face, as he bent to capture more of the trembling light on the pages. You could distinguish in the dark his little frown as he focused on the words he read, you could see his short beard covering his cheeks. His crown was resting on the table he was leaning against. You had always found crowns a bit stupid, and had never understood their use or meaning.

You took a step into the room, and Caspian finally noticed your presence, looking up at you…

And he remained frozen on the spot for a moment at the sight of you as you stood in the mingled lights of the moon and the candle.

“Hi,” you breathed.

“Hi.”

His voice was just a whisper.

“What are you reading?” you asked.

He shook himself, and took a step towards you, before showing you the cover of the book.

_Of Narnia and Magic : between truth and legends_

You smiled.

“Good choice,” you nodded.

“Someone made me want to read it again,” he smiled.

“This person has good tastes in books.”

“Among many other qualities, yes.”

You exchanged a shy smile.

“We should go, or we’ll be late,” you said softly.

He nodded, before putting the book down on the table. He put the crown back on his head, and offered you his arm.

You rested your hand on his forearm, and your heart skipped a beat at the feeling of his muscles moving under your fingers.

He smiled a dreamy smile, before heading towards the door.

He guided you through the castle, both of you wrapped in silence, smiling and blushing every time your gazes met.

And finally, you found yourself before the doors that led to the great hall where the reception was held.

“Ready?” he asked you.

You nodded.

“If you are.”

Caspian nodded at the guard next to him, and he opened the doors for the two of you to advance inside the ballroom.

It was filled with people already, and as you walked into the hall, everyone was staring at the two of you.

You tightened your hold on Caspian’s arm.

You didn’t think it was a good idea anymore. You couldn’t do that. All these people staring at you…

But Caspian rested his hand on yours, and couldn’t help but loosened your grip again as his thumb stroked softly your fingers.

You looked at each other, and he gave you a reassuring smile that set your soul on fire.

And suddenly, you weren’t afraid anymore.

You walked further into the room, and for a long while you just greeted all the lords and soldiers and nobles gathered in the room, Caspian introducing you everytime.

All the while, you didn’t let go of his arm. Not for a second.

It was rather dull, being introduced to people you had never met. You had to admit that Caspian made a wonderful job, though. He talked to all in the ballroom, asking polite questions on their families, and you were surprised by the amount of information he knew and remembered about all of them.

But he frowned when one of his Generals leaned closer to him to whisper something in his ear. You recognized him as General Dalon, to which you had been introduced earlier in the evening.

Caspian’s expression grew worried all of a sudden.

“Any victim?” he whispered.

“No, Your Highness.”

“Tell me whenever you know more about this.”

The soldier nodded, and walked away again.

“Is everything alright?” you asked Caspian.

He gave you a reassuring smile.

“Nothing you have to worry about. I’ll deal with that later.”

And then Caspian leaned towards you and offered you his opened hand.

“Would you do me the honour?” he asked.

You smiled, nodding, and he guided you to the centre of the room, where many people were dancing already.

He place his hand on your waist, and took your hand in his, and you put your free hand on his shoulder.

You could barely breathe.

He smiled, before starting to move with the music.

You were not surprised to find that he was a very good dancer, when you struggled to keep the rhythm he was imposing. Dancing had never been one of your strength. But he felt it, and slowed down.

“Looks like you’re more at ease when you have to fight someone with a sword than when you have to dance with this person,” he teased.

“I’m not very good at it,” you admitted.

“Am I going too fast?” he asked gently.

“No, it’s fine.”

Soon, you were the only ones dancing. And everyone was looking at the two of you.

You felt your cheeks turn crimson.

“Is it always like this?” you asked in a whisper, so that only the King could hear. “Everybody keeps staring at you like that all the time?”

He nodded.

“I’m afraid so, yes.”

“Why do they keep staring at us like that?” she asked him, clearly uncomfortable.

He stared at her for a moment, before answering.

“Because they’re all wondering who is this beautiful woman their King is dancing with.”

You stared intensely into his dark eyes, the brown of his irises almost made black by the shaking candlelight.

The music stopped.

You both froze.

Suddenly, everyone was clapping, you had no idea why.

But Caspian leaned down to whisper to your ear, and you completely forgot about the other sounds around you.

“Would you like to take a walk in the gardens?”

You thought for a second. But the feeling of their stare on you finished to convince you, and you nodded.

Caspian seized your hand, imprisoning your fingers in his large hand, and he guided you towards the stairs that led to the gardens, not caring about the people who were whispering in his wake.

He didn’t slow down nor speak until you were outside.

You took a deep breath of the fresh air, closing your eyes. The air smelled like wild flowers and roses.

“Do you feel better?” Caspian asked you.

You nodded, looking at him again.

“Thank you.”

You started to walk through the gardens, wrapped in silence at first.

“I’m sorry you didn’t spend a nice evening,” Caspian said, his tone kind and gentle.

“I guess I’m just not used to be the centre of attention.”

“I still can’t understand how this can be the case.”

You narrowed your eyes, and he gave you a little smile.

“I guess you’ve never noticed that most men around the castle _do_ stare at you whenever they see you.”

Your cheeks flushed fiercely, but you decided not to reply to his remark.

“Do you get used to all this attention after a while?”

“Honestly?”

“Yes, honestly.”

He shook his head.

“Not really.”

“You seemed quite at ease though.”

“I’m just good at hiding my discomfort now, that’s all.”

There was a short silence, before he would speak again.

“May I… ask you a personal question?” he asked slowly, cautiously.

“Of course,” you nodded.

“How come that you are not married?”

You raised an eyebrow, both surprised and amused.

“I could ask you the same,” you replied.

He gave you a weak smile.

“If you answer, I’ll answer,” you said.

He laughed.

“I just… I want to wait for the right person,” he said. “I don’t want to marry someone just because I have to. I want to marry someone because I _want_ to.”

“Do you have some pressure about that?”

He nodded.

“I’m a King, for now not married, which means without an heir. And that scares many people.”

He shrugged.

“It’s not because I’m a King that I have to be sad all my life. And I reckon that love is the true way leading to happiness and peace.”

You sat upon a bench, and he took off his crown, putting it down on the bench next to him, before looking at you again.

“What about you?” he asked.

You stroked softly the petals of the white rose next to you, the smooth flower tickling your fingers.

“I want to marry for love as well,” you answered, and you knew he was smiling at you even before you were looking at him again. “And there is the matter of my father.”

“Your father?”

“He’s a bit… tiny bit… overprotective. Especially when it comes to men.”

“Have any man asked for your hand before?”

You didn’t answer, looking at the roses on your right again.

“I see…” he breathed, shifting next to you.

You smiled reassuringly.

“None I wanted to marry,” you answered.

Caspian nodded.

“Have you ever asked for a woman’s hand?” you asked him.

But he shook his head.

And you couldn’t help it… but you were happy that he hadn’t.

You suddenly stood up, turning towards him again, a mischievous smile on your face.

And he grinned. This was the version of you he had fallen for. The confident, wild side of you, that could also be gentle and shy. You hadn’t been yourself at the reception. You had barely talked, had held his arm as if your life had depended on it… You were afraid.

He didn’t want you to be afraid. He wanted you to be yourself. He wanted to see the lioness in you.

That’s why he hadn’t insisted on staying there and had taken you here, where you could be alone, somewhere no one would stare at you but him.

And if he was to be fully honest with himself, he was happy to be the only man able to stare at you. He had seen the looks that most men threw at you. You hadn’t noticed them, of course, the glances that lingered on your dress, roaming down your body.

But he had.

And he hated it.

He didn’t like the idea of being jealous, yet he knew he was. He had you too deep under his skin not to.

You offered him your hand.

“Let’s dance again,” you said.

He smiled, standing up.

You grinned, before taking off your shoes, and he laughed.

“Don’t mock me!” you replied. “You should try it. There’s nothing better than walking barefoot on the grass.”

He looked down at his feet.

“Come on, try it!” you encouraged him.

You saw his shoulders shake as chuckles ran through his body, but he bent down and took off his shoes anyway.

He walked to you, reaching you on the grass, and you bothe stared at each other.

You fell into his infinite eyes…

“There’s no music, though,” he pointed out.

You put your hand on his shoulder again, and he held you just like he had held you in the ballroom. You started to hum softly an old lullaby your mother used to sing to you when you were little.

He smiled, humming as well.

And the more you danced, the most the space between the two of you shrank, until you were close enough for Caspian to bring his lips near your ear. You could hear that his breathing was as messy as your own.

“You really are beautiful, Y/N.”

You stopped humming, but didn’t stop dancing. His voice was just a whisper, the air escaping from his lungs colliding with your ear and cheek, eliciting goosebumps on your entire body.

“You’re so beautiful…”

You let go of his hand and wrapped both your arms around his neck, bringing him close to you.

You closed your eyes, your temple resting against his.

“Caspian?” you whispered in a breath.

“Yes?”

“Is it true you’re building a boat to go away from here?”

You were certain that your tone betrayed that you didn’t want him to leave.

“Yes, I’m building a great boat,” he nodded. “I love the sea. I love to sail. I want to visit all the islands around Narnia.”

“You’ll be gone for long then…”

“But I shall always come back here.”

“What if you find a better place to live in somewhere far away?”

“There’s no such place in the world, Y/N.”

“How can you know.”

“No other place could hold the woman who owns my heart.”

You didn’t ask the question that burnt your tongue, you were not ready to know the answer.

Without either of you noticing, you had stopped swaying, and were merely holding on each other now.

“Do you think I could see this boat of yours?” you asked.

You felt him smile.

“Of course you can.”

“Could you take me there?”

He nodded.

“Next week, would that be alright?”

You nodded, resting your head in the crook of his neck, and you felt him rest his cheek against your head. You ran a hand through his hair, and you heard him heave a sigh.

And when the two of you finally broke your embrace, most of the guests had left the ball already…


	3. Travelling Lights

Since the ball you had barely talked to him. Capian had been very busy about some insurrection in the North, and all you could have discussed was a time and place to meet for him to take you to see this boat of his.

Actually, it hadn’t bothered you. Something had transpired between the two of you at the ball, and you were scared of it. Something that had been there for a while, of course, but… it had been revealed that night. And you were not sure you were ready for this now that the signs were showing you that Caspian was not messing around with you. You knew he was serious about all this. And you were as well, but you didn’t think that hurrying into a possible relationship with him was a good idea. Like all things in the world, love needed time.

So you were quite nervous when you walked to the royal stables. Excited and nervous.

Because despite all the warnings your brain could send you, your heart longed to see him.

He was already there, standing near the door, giving apples to his horse. You smiled at the sight of him, and without you even noticing, your pace accelerated.

He turned towards you, a bright smile upon his face.

“Good morning, Y/N.”

“‘Morning, Caspian.”

“How do you feel today?”

“I’m very well, thank you. You look tired,” you added as you noticed the dark traces under his eyes.

“I’ve been busy these last few days,” he evasively answered. “Spending some time outside will do me good, for sure.”

“Let’s go then.”

He had already prepared everything for you, and all you had to do was climb on your horse, and five minutes later, you were leaving the castle.

“It’s not very far from here,” he reassured you.

You nodded, and a short silence followed.

“So… what is it about? This crisis you have to face I mean? I’ve just heard rumours about it,” you asked.

He shrugged.

“There is still unrest. No war but… All are not happy with how things turned in Narnia these past few years. And many don’t like me much.”

“Many do like you, though.”

“There’s been attacks in the North, and they seem to be heading South.”

“What kind of attacks?”

“Against Narnians. No one has been hurt for now, but houses have been burnt.”

“What do they want?”

“My head.”

He had talked about all this very calmly, as if you were talking about the sun and the rain. But when he turned towards you, he could see the horror in your eyes.

He smiled.

“Don’t worry about me. They won’t have my head,” he reassured you.

“How can you know that?”

He intensely looked at you.

“Because I won’t let them have it,” he replied.

“You seem very confident.”

“What else can I do?”

You shrugged, before looking at the road before you.

“Speaking of security…” you said. “I’m surprised that we’re not surrendered by guards.”

“You would prefer to have this ride with me with guard around us? You still have me to protect you. And judging by your talent with a blade, I’d rather say that _you_ would protect me if we were attacked.”

You couldn’t help but laugh.

“Do not worry about me, nor about our safety today,” he went on, his voice reassuring. “I would not take the risk that any harm could come to you, and you know it.”

You smiled, and for a long while you both remained silent.

When you reached the harbour where Caspian’s boat was being built, you couldn’t refrain a gasp.

The boat was huge. Gigantic. You had never seen any boat of the kind. You marvelled at the large boat, a dragon’s head was being carved into the wood, sails already floating in the wind.

“Would you like to get on the deck?” he asked you, smiling at the sight of awe in your eyes.

You nodded enthusiastically, and followed him onto the boat.

The deck seemed so large to you. The mast was so tall, and the wood elegantly carved… Everything was impressive to you. You had never seen any boat of the kind before. Actually, you were not sure that there was another boat of the kind in Narnia.

Caspian took your hand, and guided you to some stairs, and you climbed behind the helm. He guided your hands onto the wooden wheel, and you let your fingers wonder on the carved wood. You breathed deeply the ocean air, your lungs filled with the scent of salt and seaweeds. You could hear the gulls crying from afar.

“What do you think about it?” he asked.

He was standing behind you, so close to you, you could feel the warmth of his body flowing through your back.

It was difficult for you to breathe.

“I think it’s beautiful,” you breathed.

“Come, I’ll show you my cabin.”

He took your hand again, and guided you inside the boat. He opened the door to his personal chambers for you, and you walked inside.

There was a large table already, and a large bed. Windows were illuminating the room. It was already richly decorated, although the paintings on the walls were not finished.

You easily recognized the Kings and Queens of old onto the walls.

“It’s beautiful,” you said.

You walked to the windows, and looked outside. All you could see was the sea. An infinite surface of water. Nothing else. Water and water till the horizon.

“Don’t you think it’s scary out there?” you asked.

“What do you mean?” he asked back, leaning against the window next to you.

“There’s nothing out there, except water and salt. You won’t meet any living thing for days and days… weeks even, if you go far enough. Doesn’t that scare you? Aren’t you scared to get lost? Aren’t you… Aren’t you scared to die out there?”

You stared at him, and for a moment, the world was just his dark eyes fixed upon yours.

“No, I’m not scared of the sea,” Caspian slowly answered. “I like the sea.”

“It’s uncertain, infinite…”

“That’s why I like it so much. It’s untameable, and wild. But you feel free by its side, like there is nothing else in the world. No Kingdom, no subjects, no enemies, no war…”

He looked outside, and you could see that his cheeks were becoming slightly red.

“Much like how I feel when I’m with you,” he breathed softly, and though he felt your intense stare upon him, he didn’t look at you. “And it’s quite an addictive feeling.”

“Why do you want to go there anyway?” you asked after a short silent.

He flinched.

“I don’t think we should talk about this now…” he said, hesitation shining in his eyes as he looked at you again.

“Don’t you trust me?”

“I do trust you.”

You tilted your head to the side.

“Then why do you not want to tell me what you’re ready to risk your life for?”

He set his glance upon the sea once more.

“After my father was killed…” he said slowly, softly, his voice barely audible above the sound of the cracking wood and the waves hitting the sides of the boat, “his most faithful Lords ran away from Narnia. They went to the Lone Islands. But they never came back.”

“You want to find these men…” you breathed, understanding everything now.

He nodded.

“But how can you even know if they’re still alive?” you asked.

“I can’t.”

“So you’re going to go chase ghosts?”

“I’m going to go after answers.”

“About what?”

He didn’t answer, but you knew what was in his mind.

“Is it because of your father?” you asked.

He looked at you again, and a small smile appeared on his face.

“You guess too much the secrets of my heart already,” he said.

He looked by the window again.

“I need to find them,” he said, and his voice was determined now. “I need to get answers. I need to find these men, and bring them back home.”

You stared at him, before looking down at his hand. You brushed your fingers against his, and you felt his eyes upon you again.

“When this boat will be ready?” you asked.

“In a couple of months.”

“And then you’ll leave?”

“Yes, I will.”

You intertwined your fingers with his.

“Will you take me with you?” you asked.

“I can’t do that, Y/N,” he shook his head.

“Why not?”

“It would be too dangerous for you to come.”

“If it’s dangerous, don’t you think you would need your best swordsman with you?”

He smiled, but held your chin in his hand, forcing you to look up at him.

“I couldn’t take the risk to lose you.”

“I don’t want you to go away,” you confessed in a whisper.

“I will come back,” he said, and his voice sounded like a vow.

“How can you be so sure?” you asked, and there was fear in your eyes and in your shaking voice.

“Because there is something here that I could never take the risk to lose,” he breathed. “Something that will always bring me back here, no matter what happens out there.”

“You said you would come back if you loved a woman…”

“And I do love a woman.”

You saw him blushing slightly, but before you could reply anything…

…he was pressing his lips against yours.

It was a brief, spontaneous gesture. Their lips didn’t remain against yours for more than a few seconds. Just long enough for you to feel how soft his lips were, and it was over.

He stared at you, a frightened expression on his face.

“Y/N…” he breathed as you remained frozen on the spot, your eyes wide in shock. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have done that. It was completely out of line, I…”

But he was interrupted when you crushed your lips together again, holding his face in both your hands.

And your gesture was enough to dissipate all his doubts, and he wrapped his left arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him, while his right hand came resting on your cheek, his fingertips lost in your hair.

The next second he had pushed your back against the windows, and you found yourself trapped between his warm body and the cold glass.

You felt his tongue graze your bottom lip, and you knew what he meant. You sighed, parting your lips for him, and he deepened your kiss, your tongues shyly touching, and soon dancing together.

When you pulled away, both of you breathless, your hearts rushing in your chests, it took you several seconds to open your eyes as your head was still spinning. Your eyes met his, and you both grinned, as you stroked his cheek, your other hand lost in his hair.

He rested his brow against yours, and you both closed your eyes again, your breaths mingling between the two of you.

And at this precise moment, you knew he was the one.

You knew you and Caspian were meant to be together, and all your doubts and fears disappeared. They vanished like the foam on the sand, and you grinned. You knew what you wanted.

You wanted him.

“I love you, Y/N,” he whispered, his eyes still closed. “I love you with all my heart… And all I want is for you to be mine and for me to be yours. It’s all I desire for myself in this world.”

You kissed him again, a long, tender kiss that left you both breathless once more.

“I love you too, Caspian,” you whispered, your voice shaking with emotions. “I love you so much…”

You looked at each other, both of you grinning.

“Would you marry me ?” he blurted out.

You laughed. You couldn’t help it, nor control it, you just laughed. And he looked at you with both amused and terrified eyes.

“What?” he asked, his voice a bit hoarse.

“It’s just…” you said, trying to stop laughing. “You’ve been so shy with me for months… it took you forever to just talk to me alone and now… In less than three minutes you’ve kissed me, told me you loved me, and asked for my hand.”

You finally managed to calm down. But he was still looking at you with a scared expression on his face.

“Am I going too fast?” he asked. “If I am then just tell me. I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait as long as you need. I just… I just want to spend my life with you, that’s all. And to do that, I could do anything.”

You smiled.

“Ask me again,” you commanded.

He frowned, and so you repeated your demand.

“Caspian, ask me again.”

He took your head in both his hands.

“Y/N, I love you with all my heart. And I swear that until my very last breath I’ll cherish you and do all that is within my power to make you happy. Y/N, would you marry me? Would you be mine?”

You smiled.

“Yes, Caspian. I want to marry you.”

He grinned, you could see happy tears shining in his eyes, and you were sure you looked just the same. He caressed your cheeks with his thumb, clearly not really believing you could have accepted to become his wife, before kissing you passionately.

After a long while (and a lot of sweet and passionate kisses), you wrapped your arms around him, and buried your face into his shirt, breathing deeply his scent. He smelled like fire and salt and pines…

“What’s the name of your boat?” you asked, your voice shushed by the fabric of his shirt.

“It doesn’t have any name yet,” he answered, dropping a sweet kiss on your head. “Do you have any idea?”

You thought for a moment.

“Well… it’s a beautiful ship, it needs a beautiful name,” you said. “It’s… it’s where our relationship begins. It’s full of love and hope like… like morning lights on the corn fields. And it’s going to travel very far so…”

He smiled against you hair.

“What about the Dawn Trader then?”


	4. The Tide

Caspian was starting to be worried. You had not arrived to the Castle yet, and dawn had since long bathed Narnia with its burning lights. He wondered if you had managed to convince your father. He wondered if you were already back in the Castle but didn’t want to see him. He had almost went back to your father’s house, but Trufflehunter had convinced him otherwise. Your father needed time to accept his love for you and he could understand that.

The truth was, Caspian didn’t think himself as a man good enough for you.

So instead of going to the royal stables again he remained in the gardens for the morning, his mind too busy with you and your family to focus on any royal matter.

But when a guard came running towards him, Caspian knew something terrible had happened.

“Your Highness, a man is here,” the soldier said. “He says he is Lady Y/N’s father. He says he must see you right away.”

“Is she all right?”

“He says she was kidnapped, my Liege.”

Caspian immediately jumped on his feet, his eyes wide in horror.

“What?” he breathed, walking closer to the soldier.

“The man said she had been kidnapped. He found this in a wood near his home.”

He handed him a piece of torn cloth. And Caspian recognized it in a second.

It was a piece of your gown.

“Where is he?” he asked, taking the cloth in his hands, and starting to stride towards the Castle already.

“In the throne room, Your Highness.”

Caspian hurried there, the soldier in his wake.

When he saw your father waiting, standing still before the tall throne, looking desperate, he felt like his heart was slowly breaking in his chest. He knew it was true.

You had disappeared…

Your father bent down. The man was shaking.

“Your Highness,” he breathed, his voice trembling.

“What happened?” Caspian asked urgently, striding to him, not caring about the protocol or any polite gesture.

They didn’t have any time to loose…

“We…” the elder man stuttered, looking at Caspian now. “We had a row. And she walked out of the house, infuriated because I didn’t want to change my mind about the two of you. But when she lived with me, she used to walk through the woods when she was angry against me, so I didn’t worry much before the night had fallen. Then… I went looking for her because… I know these parts of Narnia are not quite safe yet. But she was nowhere to be found. And then I found this…”

He pointed at the piece of clothing that Caspian was still holding tightly in his hand.

“She must have been kidnapped or something,” the elder man went on. “I’m sure you’ve heard about all the unrest in the Northern parts of Narnia.”

Caspian nodded slowly.

“Of course,” the King breathed.

“You must help me find her,” the old man said, begging now. “I’m just me, but you have a damn army out there…”

Caspian rested a soothing hand on the man’s shoulder. Although, your father could read in his eyes that Caspian was terrified as well at the mere thought of losing you.

“Of course I’m going to do everything I can to bring her back,” Caspian promised.

He turned towards the soldier again.

“Call for the generals, right away. Tell them to meet me in my private office.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

He ran outside, while Caspian guided your father to an adjacent room. Caspian offered the old man a sit around the wooden table around which his most trusted men often came to meet him and advise him. He splayed a map on the table.

“Where did you find this?” Caspian asked your father, nodding towards the piece of clothing that he was still holding tightly in his hands.

But they were interrupted as soldiers walked into the room.

Reepicheep jumped onto the table.

“We have just learned, my Liege. It is terrible,” the mouse breathed. “I guess you will use all our men to find her.”

Caspian clenched his jaw.

“We cannot offer to use _all_ of our troops,” he said slowly.

Your father looked up at him, rage burning in his eyes.

“The men that are already on duty securing the Northern parts of Narnia will not be called back to help into our search. But we will use most of the men who are still here or close to the Castle.”

“But we’ll waste time…” your father protested.

“We must search for clues, and not start to look for ghosts across all of Narnia,” Caspian replied.

“I’ve been there, I’ve searched the woods. There is nothing to be found…”

“I don’t have the men.”

Caspian’s tone was definitive. And when your father looked at him again, standing tall, looking down at the map, he saw the King in him that you saw as well.

The one who was ready to sacrifice anything for his people, and would never take a decision carelessly.

Suddenly, the door opened on General Dalon, who hurried next to Caspian, breathless after he had crossed the Castle running. He handed his King an arrow and a piece of parchment.

“We just found this at the gates, Your Highness,” he said, struggling to catch his breath. “I am sorry. I didn’t know what it was so I read it.”

Caspian unfolded the note, and his jaw clenched as his eyes roamed across the dirty parchment, a merciless glint suddenly alit in his eyes.

He cleared his throat, before reading the note aloud.

“‘We have Lady Y/N. The bargain is simple, if King Caspian yields down his power, her life shall be spared. If he doesn’t, by midnight today, she will be killed, and you’ll find her body wrecked upon the shore.’”

A deadly silence fell upon the room.

“You must give up on your throne,” your father said, staring intensely at Caspian. “You must, it’s the only way to save her.”

But Caspian slowly shook his head.

“I can’t do that,” he answered calmly.

Your father stood up.

“See… I was right not to agree about this marriage,” he spat, his tone bitter and desperate. “You would rather keep your power and your lands than save my daughter…”

But Caspian turned towards him, and your father fell silent before his intense glance.

He could read in his dark eyes that it was killing Caspian. That if he could, he would have gladly given his life to save yours. But he couldn’t.

“And then what will happen?” Caspian asked through gritted teeth. “After I’ve yielded my power and the people finds itself leaderless? These people who kidnapped Y/N, they don’t accept that I fought alongside Narnians, that I protect Narnians. They don’t accept the idea that we can all live together peacefully. If I step down from the throne, it will merely be chaos. I can’t let that happen, no matter how much I love your daughter and how much I would suffer if anything happened to her.”

He turned towards the note again, examining every detail, from the parchment to the handwriting.

He examined the arrow as well.

“How can you know it’s the same people who organized raids against Narnians?” Dalon asked him.

“There are not many people who want me to give up on the throne. And this is one of their arrows,” Caspian added, giving the weapon to his general.

“So what do we do?” your father asked.

“Give me a minute,” Caspian asked, leaning against the wall behind him.

“We don’t have a minute…”

“I need to think.”

Caspian reread the note for the fifth time, before looking at the map.

The forest where you had been kidnapped was not very far from the sea…

“Admiral Demos,” Caspian said softly. “Is anything supposed to happen near the sea tonight at midnight?”

Demos shrugged.

“It’s the highest point of the tide. But I don’t see anything else particular at this hour. None of our boats are to leave shores before the end of the week.”

But Caspian had stopped listening, his long finger tracing the shores along the length of the map.

“What are you looking for?” Reepicheep asked him.

Caspian gave him the note.

“They’re talking about the sea. They’re talking about finding her body on the shore. Why would they do that?”

“You think they hold her near a shore.”

“I assume it’s plausible,” Caspian nodded. “And if midnight is set as an hour for her death because of the tide…”

“They mean to drown her.”

“But why do something so complicated?” your father asked.

“Actually it’s quite clever,” Caspian replied. “If they just… leave her to be drowned somewhere, they won’t have to be around.”

“Less chances of being discovered,” Reepicheep nodded.

Caspian nodded.

“I don’t know the shores well enough,” he breathed, before looking up at the soldiers around him. “Do you know of any… cave or… any place where they could leave her alone without being noticed by anyone?”

They looked on the map for any cave and creek where you could be held prisoner.

“We will search all along the coast,” Caspian finally decided. “We don’t have much time. We must hurry.”

Caspian looked by the window, staring at the sun.

It was midday already.

He had so little time to find you…

————————————————————————————————-

You fought against the man’s hold on your wrists. They had tied up your ankles and hands. You knew you could never escape, you had tried all along the long trip that had brought you on the beach where you were dragged now.

You tried to look for clues about where you were. You had remained with a blind on your eyes the whole trip, but now your eyes were uncovered again. You looked up at the sun. It was probably around four or five in the afternoon now.

You walked towards a little cave craved by the sea into the pale cliff. You struggled out of the man’s grasp, but all you managed to do was glimpsing over his shoulder. And your eyes grew wide at the sight of white sails further down the beach.

It was the Dawn Trader, you were sure of it.

You were pushed into the cave, and you were surprised to find men in there, apparently waiting for you. They were carrying torches, and the red light was drawing crazy forms upon the walls of the cave.

There was a tall man there, at the back of the cave. He was turning his back on you, although you were sure that his silhouette was familiar to you. You noticed that he was more richly clothed than the rest of the men who were gathered in the creepy cave.

You finally noticed the hook in the ceiling. A circle of metal, made rusty by the water and salt of the sea.

“Hello, Lady Y/N,” the tall man said, and you struggled with your memories to find out who he was, his voice sounding familiar to you. “I am sorry for this… unfortunate course of events. Know that I have nothing against you personally. No one here holds any angst or hate against you. It’s against our dear King that we are angry. Betrayed even. I feel very sorry that we need to go so far.”

He turned slowly, and your eyes widened as you recognized his face in the dim light of the torches and the distant sun.

It was Dalon…

You were lifted up, and hung to the hook by the chains that had been used to tie up your wrists.

And tried to free yourself, but you knew you had no chance, so you slowly stopped struggling.

Dalon walked towards you, staring right into your eyes.

He took off the gag from your mouth. But you didn’t scream, nor speak. What for? You knew there was no one around to hear you anyway.

“You see,” Dalon went on, “we gave King Caspian a simple choice. You life against his throne. But he will not give up on his throne. So I’m afraid that we now have to honour our part of the deal, and let you die here.”

You didn’t flinch, you merely stared at him, a defiant glint in your eyes.

“You see… when the tide reaches its highest level, this cave is completely filled with water,” Dalon added. “And you have no chance of escaping. So… I’m afraid that, when the tide will rise, you’re going to die, drowning.”

You merely clenched your jaw tighter. A small smile appeared on Dalon’s lips.

“You really are brave, I’ll give you that,” he said. “And you’re extremely beautiful. I guess I understand why even King Caspian fell for you.”

He turned around, and his men and him started to walk out of the cave.

“He’s going to find me,” you cried.

Dalon froze, turning towards you again.

“Caspian’s going to find me,” you said, and you believed so much in your words that he felt sorry for you. “He’s going to save me, and then I wouldn’t hope much for your life…”

“He’s not going to find you.”

“He will. He will search all of Narnia if he has to.”

“Oh, but that’s what he’s doing. He was clever, he understood that you were near the shores, but… guess which one of his most trustful men volunteered to come and investigate in _this_ part of Narnia?”

You gasped.

“What a shame really,” he went on, “that I didn’t find anything here.”

And he walked away, leaving you alone in the cave.

A tear rolled down your cheek.

“Caspian… Caspian please find me…”


	5. The Tide

Caspian was starting to be worried. You had not arrived to the Castle yet, and dawn had since long bathed Narnia with its burning lights. He wondered if you had managed to convince your father. He wondered if you were already back in the Castle but didn’t want to see him. He had almost went back to your father’s house, but Trufflehunter had convinced him otherwise. Your father needed time to accept his love for you and he could understand that.

The truth was, Caspian didn’t think himself as a man good enough for you.

So instead of going to the royal stables again he remained in the gardens for the morning, his mind too busy with you and your family to focus on any royal matter.

But when a guard came running towards him, Caspian knew something terrible had happened.

“Your Highness, a man is here,” the soldier said. “He says he is Lady Y/N’s father. He says he must see you right away.”

“Is she all right?”

“He says she was kidnapped, my Liege.”

Caspian immediately jumped on his feet, his eyes wide in horror.

“What?” he breathed, walking closer to the soldier.

“The man said she had been kidnapped. He found this in a wood near his home.”

He handed him a piece of torn cloth. And Caspian recognized it in a second.

It was a piece of your gown.

“Where is he?” he asked, taking the cloth in his hands, and starting to stride towards the Castle already.

“In the throne room, Your Highness.”

Caspian hurried there, the soldier in his wake.

When he saw your father waiting, standing still before the tall throne, looking desperate, he felt like his heart was slowly breaking in his chest. He knew it was true.

You had disappeared…

Your father bent down. The man was shaking.

“Your Highness,” he breathed, his voice trembling.

“What happened?” Caspian asked urgently, striding to him, not caring about the protocol or any polite gesture.

They didn’t have any time to loose…

“We…” the elder man stuttered, looking at Caspian now. “We had a row. And she walked out of the house, infuriated because I didn’t want to change my mind about the two of you. But when she lived with me, she used to walk through the woods when she was angry against me, so I didn’t worry much before the night had fallen. Then… I went looking for her because… I know these parts of Narnia are not quite safe yet. But she was nowhere to be found. And then I found this…”

He pointed at the piece of clothing that Caspian was still holding tightly in his hand.

“She must have been kidnapped or something,” the elder man went on. “I’m sure you’ve heard about all the unrest in the Northern parts of Narnia.”

Caspian nodded slowly.

“Of course,” the King breathed.

“You must help me find her,” the old man said, begging now. “I’m just me, but you have a damn army out there…”

Caspian rested a soothing hand on the man’s shoulder. Although, your father could read in his eyes that Caspian was terrified as well at the mere thought of losing you.

“Of course I’m going to do everything I can to bring her back,” Caspian promised.

He turned towards the soldier again.

“Call for the generals, right away. Tell them to meet me in my private office.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

He ran outside, while Caspian guided your father to an adjacent room. Caspian offered the old man a sit around the wooden table around which his most trusted men often came to meet him and advise him. He splayed a map on the table.

“Where did you find this?” Caspian asked your father, nodding towards the piece of clothing that he was still holding tightly in his hands.

But they were interrupted as soldiers walked into the room.

Reepicheep jumped onto the table.

“We have just learned, my Liege. It is terrible,” the mouse breathed. “I guess you will use all our men to find her.”

Caspian clenched his jaw.

“We cannot offer to use _all_ of our troops,” he said slowly.

Your father looked up at him, rage burning in his eyes.

“The men that are already on duty securing the Northern parts of Narnia will not be called back to help into our search. But we will use most of the men who are still here or close to the Castle.”

“But we’ll waste time…” your father protested.

“We must search for clues, and not start to look for ghosts across all of Narnia,” Caspian replied.

“I’ve been there, I’ve searched the woods. There is nothing to be found…”

“I don’t have the men.”

Caspian’s tone was definitive. And when your father looked at him again, standing tall, looking down at the map, he saw the King in him that you saw as well.

The one who was ready to sacrifice anything for his people, and would never take a decision carelessly.

Suddenly, the door opened on General Dalon, who hurried next to Caspian, breathless after he had crossed the Castle running. He handed his King an arrow and a piece of parchment.

“We just found this at the gates, Your Highness,” he said, struggling to catch his breath. “I am sorry. I didn’t know what it was so I read it.”

Caspian unfolded the note, and his jaw clenched as his eyes roamed across the dirty parchment, a merciless glint suddenly alit in his eyes.

He cleared his throat, before reading the note aloud.

“‘We have Lady Y/N. The bargain is simple, if King Caspian yields down his power, her life shall be spared. If he doesn’t, by midnight today, she will be killed, and you’ll find her body wrecked upon the shore.’”

A deadly silence fell upon the room.

“You must give up on your throne,” your father said, staring intensely at Caspian. “You must, it’s the only way to save her.”

But Caspian slowly shook his head.

“I can’t do that,” he answered calmly.

Your father stood up.

“See… I was right not to agree about this marriage,” he spat, his tone bitter and desperate. “You would rather keep your power and your lands than save my daughter…”

But Caspian turned towards him, and your father fell silent before his intense glance.

He could read in his dark eyes that it was killing Caspian. That if he could, he would have gladly given his life to save yours. But he couldn’t.

“And then what will happen?” Caspian asked through gritted teeth. “After I’ve yielded my power and the people finds itself leaderless? These people who kidnapped Y/N, they don’t accept that I fought alongside Narnians, that I protect Narnians. They don’t accept the idea that we can all live together peacefully. If I step down from the throne, it will merely be chaos. I can’t let that happen, no matter how much I love your daughter and how much I would suffer if anything happened to her.”

He turned towards the note again, examining every detail, from the parchment to the handwriting.

He examined the arrow as well.

“How can you know it’s the same people who organized raids against Narnians?” Dalon asked him.

“There are not many people who want me to give up on the throne. And this is one of their arrows,” Caspian added, giving the weapon to his general.

“So what do we do?” your father asked.

“Give me a minute,” Caspian asked, leaning against the wall behind him.

“We don’t have a minute…”

“I need to think.”

Caspian reread the note for the fifth time, before looking at the map.

The forest where you had been kidnapped was not very far from the sea…

“Admiral Demos,” Caspian said softly. “Is anything supposed to happen near the sea tonight at midnight?”

Demos shrugged.

“It’s the highest point of the tide. But I don’t see anything else particular at this hour. None of our boats are to leave shores before the end of the week.”

But Caspian had stopped listening, his long finger tracing the shores along the length of the map.

“What are you looking for?” Reepicheep asked him.

Caspian gave him the note.

“They’re talking about the sea. They’re talking about finding her body on the shore. Why would they do that?”

“You think they hold her near a shore.”

“I assume it’s plausible,” Caspian nodded. “And if midnight is set as an hour for her death because of the tide…”

“They mean to drown her.”

“But why do something so complicated?” your father asked.

“Actually it’s quite clever,” Caspian replied. “If they just… leave her to be drowned somewhere, they won’t have to be around.”

“Less chances of being discovered,” Reepicheep nodded.

Caspian nodded.

“I don’t know the shores well enough,” he breathed, before looking up at the soldiers around him. “Do you know of any… cave or… any place where they could leave her alone without being noticed by anyone?”

They looked on the map for any cave and creek where you could be held prisoner.

“We will search all along the coast,” Caspian finally decided. “We don’t have much time. We must hurry.”

Caspian looked by the window, staring at the sun.

It was midday already.

He had so little time to find you…

————————————————————————————————-

You fought against the man’s hold on your wrists. They had tied up your ankles and hands. You knew you could never escape, you had tried all along the long trip that had brought you on the beach where you were dragged now.

You tried to look for clues about where you were. You had remained with a blind on your eyes the whole trip, but now your eyes were uncovered again. You looked up at the sun. It was probably around four or five in the afternoon now.

You walked towards a little cave craved by the sea into the pale cliff. You struggled out of the man’s grasp, but all you managed to do was glimpsing over his shoulder. And your eyes grew wide at the sight of white sails further down the beach.

It was the Dawn Trader, you were sure of it.

You were pushed into the cave, and you were surprised to find men in there, apparently waiting for you. They were carrying torches, and the red light was drawing crazy forms upon the walls of the cave.

There was a tall man there, at the back of the cave. He was turning his back on you, although you were sure that his silhouette was familiar to you. You noticed that he was more richly clothed than the rest of the men who were gathered in the creepy cave.

You finally noticed the hook in the ceiling. A circle of metal, made rusty by the water and salt of the sea.

“Hello, Lady Y/N,” the tall man said, and you struggled with your memories to find out who he was, his voice sounding familiar to you. “I am sorry for this… unfortunate course of events. Know that I have nothing against you personally. No one here holds any angst or hate against you. It’s against our dear King that we are angry. Betrayed even. I feel very sorry that we need to go so far.”

He turned slowly, and your eyes widened as you recognized his face in the dim light of the torches and the distant sun.

It was Dalon…

You were lifted up, and hung to the hook by the chains that had been used to tie up your wrists.

And tried to free yourself, but you knew you had no chance, so you slowly stopped struggling.

Dalon walked towards you, staring right into your eyes.

He took off the gag from your mouth. But you didn’t scream, nor speak. What for? You knew there was no one around to hear you anyway.

“You see,” Dalon went on, “we gave King Caspian a simple choice. You life against his throne. But he will not give up on his throne. So I’m afraid that we now have to honour our part of the deal, and let you die here.”

You didn’t flinch, you merely stared at him, a defiant glint in your eyes.

“You see… when the tide reaches its highest level, this cave is completely filled with water,” Dalon added. “And you have no chance of escaping. So… I’m afraid that, when the tide will rise, you’re going to die, drowning.”

You merely clenched your jaw tighter. A small smile appeared on Dalon’s lips.

“You really are brave, I’ll give you that,” he said. “And you’re extremely beautiful. I guess I understand why even King Caspian fell for you.”

He turned around, and his men and him started to walk out of the cave.

“He’s going to find me,” you cried.

Dalon froze, turning towards you again.

“Caspian’s going to find me,” you said, and you believed so much in your words that he felt sorry for you. “He’s going to save me, and then I wouldn’t hope much for your life…”

“He’s not going to find you.”

“He will. He will search all of Narnia if he has to.”

“Oh, but that’s what he’s doing. He was clever, he understood that you were near the shores, but… guess which one of his most trustful men volunteered to come and investigate in _this_ part of Narnia?”

You gasped.

“What a shame really,” he went on, “that I didn’t find anything here.”

And he walked away, leaving you alone in the cave.

A tear rolled down your cheek.

“Caspian… Caspian please find me…”


	6. Betrayal

Caspian watched the sun setting, sinking into the salty ocean as the first signs of the night appeared, the moon still shy and barely visible in the purple light of dusk.

He was thinking hard but he couldn’t find any solution. He kept on pacing, walking upon the sand, but he didn’t know in which direction he ought to go.

He was lost in the middle of his fears, and he couldn’t find a way to walk out of this nightmare.

Next to him, Reepicheep and your father were sitting in the sand, watching the waves crushing upon the shore.

Your father was crying, silent tears falling down his old cheeks. And when he looked up at Caspian, he could see the same terror and the same guilt in the eyes of the young King than the ones who were clenching his heart.

Caspian cared about you, he really did, your father could see it now. He had put aside everything to look for you. He had not merely sent his men, he had come as well, searching for you all afternoon.

But you were nowhere to be found.

The entire Narnian coast had been searched, every cave, every boat, every creek…

But they couldn’t find you.

And Caspian was starting to think that he had been wrong all along. That perhaps you were not close to the sea at all. And he felt guilty as hell.

He turned towards your father, the loud noise of the old man sniffing startling him.

“It’s all my fault,” the elder man breathed, and Reepicheep kindly patted his knee. “I shouldn’t have been so harsh with her… I shouldn’t have let her go when she ran away that night.”

But Caspian shook his head, his throat tightened by sorrow.

“None of this is your fault, it’s mine. She wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for me. And I should have never let her alone in your home. I should have waited for her.”

“There is no need to torture yourselves about what is past,” the mouse said. “What is done is done, and putting the blame on yourselves will not help finding her.”

A small smile appeared on Caspian’s lips.

“Always the wise one, Reep…”

“Your Highness, I was thinking about something,” Reepicheep went on, walking closer to Caspian. “These people who abducted Y/N… they hold grievances against you personally, right?”

“Indeed, they do,” Caspian nodded.

“Well… maybe it’s not a coincidence then that they were talking about the sea,” the mouse went on. “After all, it is no secret that you love sailing. Perhaps they are trying to hurt you even more personally than we first thought.”

Caspian stared at his friend, before a smile would form on his face.

“Reep, you’re a genius.”

The King started to run across the beach, calling for the rest of the soldiers who had accompanied them in their search.

“Where are going?” your father asked Caspian, trying to keep up as the King was running across the beach.

“Reep is right, it’s personal,” Caspian explained. “Then… what better place to choose than the boat I’ve been building for months now.”

“You think she’s near the Dawn Trader,” the mouse nodded, running as well.

“Yes.”

“But I thought that General Dalon had checked this area already, and found nothing at all.”

But Caspian had a strange sensation in his stomach. Some kind of… certainty that told him that you were there.

And he had to hurry if he wanted to find you still alive.

“I know she’s there,” he merely replied.

He mounted his horse, urging the soldiers to follow him, looking at the long beach that was now lost in the darkness of the night.

He was coming to save you…

———————————————————————————————————–

The water had reached your chest. You were shivering, the cold water making your limbs numb, the chains hurting your wrists. You had tried to keep your strengths, knowing it would be a long fight that you would have to face against death. You had not wasted your time for too long trying to break the hook or your heavy metal chains. You knew it was a lost cause. There was no way for you to free yourself alone.

The pale moon was bright enough for you to distinguish through the darkness the shape of the entrance of the cave, and the glistening walls around you.

You were still waiting. Despite all odds, you knew Caspian would come. You knew he would find you.

The only question was, would he be fast enough to reach you before you drowned?

Your teeth were chattering with the cold. You forced your fingers to move, to tighten and dig into your palm, barely able to feel them as you had been hanging by the wrists for too long now.

You tried to listen, focusing on every sound. But there was nothing but the hushed whisper of the waves crashing softly onto the cliff. The tide was faster to change now, the water rising much quickly than before. It had taken hours for it climb up to your waist. Now, it was licking at your shoulders. You grabbed the hook and pulled yourself up, making sure your neck was still above the water.

You wondered if a human being could lose its sanity in just a few hours under such circumstances. And you wondered if you had.

You were so tired, and cold, and every muscle of your body was both numb and painful.

Suddenly you heard it. Like a whisper coming from very far.

It wasn’t the sound of the sea, it was a voice. Although you couldn’t understand what it was saying, it sounded like it was shouting.

You just hoped the voice was not just a ghost made by your own imagination. You just hoped it was real…

“HELP!” you shouted at the top of the lungs, not caring about how much it could hurt your throat. “HELP!”

You waited a few seconds. The voice was closer now, close enough for you to recognize it…

…Caspian was calling your name.

“CASPIAN!” you shouted as loudly as you could.

He seemed to be close enough now for the both of you to understand each other, as long as you kept on shouting.

“WHERE ARE YOU?” he shouted through the night.

He couldn’t see… the moon was not bright enough for him to distinguish where you could be, and the torch set on the longboat was barely enough for him to see where he was heading.

“IN THE CAVE!”

He spotted from which direction your voice was coming, and guided the boat in that towards the sound. His heart was beating so fast… he was so near, he was about to find you.

And you were still alive, he wasn’t too late for now…

Reepicheep and your father were trying to spot any cave on the cliff, forcing their eyes to pierce the thick veil of darkness before them.

But then Reepicheep cried.

“Here! Here!”

He pointed towards what seemed to be a mere hole, and Caspian guided the boat in that direction.

“Y/N!” he cried again.

But when you answered, there was no doubt to have. You were in there.

“Caspian! Caspian, not to be rude but… please, hurry up…”

The sea had almost completely covered the entrance. You were lucky they had spotted it at all.

The boat hit softly the cliff right next to the entrance.

“Keep the boat near,” Caspian ordered the mouse and your father. “I can’t take the torch with me. There’s not enough room in there.”

Indeed, the water was too high now for him to carry a torch above the water.

Without any hesitation, he jumped into the sea, and swam inside the cave.

“Caspian?” you called, seeing something approaching you.

But the light was so weak, you couldn’t recognize the form that approached you yet.

“I’m here, Y/N,” he answered, swimmingÂ  closer to you.

He finally reached you, close enough now for you to see his face.

You grinned, letting escape a few tears from your eyes.

“Caspian…”

“It’s okay. It’s okay, I’m here.”

The water was right under your chin now. He didn’t lose any time, studying how you were attached to the rocks, using his fingers when his eyes were not enough for him to find a weakness.

He tried to pull at the hook, he tried to break it with his knife, but the metal would not move…

“I’ll get Reep’s sword, and use it to open the lock on your chains,” Caspian said. “I’ll be right back.”

He turned around, his head barely fitting above the water now, and swam back to the boat to get the mouse’s weapon.

When he came back you had thrown your head backwards to keep your mouth and nose above the water.

Caspian started to work on the lock, using the thin blade to unlock it and free you from your chains.

But he was struggling to keep his nose and mouth above the water as well now. So he stopped trying to avoid the water, and took a deep breath, looking at the chains and thus immerging his mouth and nose into the water, taking a breath now and then.

“Caspian…” you whispered as he was taking a huge gulp of air into his lungs again.

“I’m going to get you out of here,” he interrupted you, and his voice sounded like a desperate promise. “I’m going to get you out of here, Y/N.”

“Caspian,” you repeated, a new tear rolling down your cheek, your voice made hoarse by your tears. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Y/N,” he breathed, still focused on the task at hand.

“You should save yourself.”

“How can you even think about something like that?”

“Caspian, please…” you begged, the water now covering your ears. “Please. I love you with all my heart. You can’t die here with me. I forbid you to do so. If you really do love me, get out of here while you still can.”

“Y/N,” he answered slowly, still fighting against the locked chains. “If you’re not getting out of this cave alive, then neither shall I.”

“Caspian…”

“I’m almost done,” he said, feeling that he was close to unlocking the chain. “Besides… I can’t live without you anyway.”

He could feel that he was close to freeing you, he could feel it…

But soon he heard you coughing, spitting out the water that had reached your nose.

“Y/N,” he called. “Y/N, take a deep breath. Take a deep breath.”

And you both just had enough time to take one last breath before the water was reaching the ceiling.

You could see Caspian still focusing on your hands, and you were sure he was almost done, you believed him. He probably just needed a few more seconds.

But you were so cold, and tired, and you had never been particularly good at holding your breath anyway.

He saw the air escape your mouth and flying upwards to crash against the stones just when the lock was making a loud click and he could finally free your wrists from the chains.

He grabbed your shoulders, and held you tightly against him, turning around and swimming towards the sea again.

His lungs were burning, desperate for air. The salt of the sea was stinging his eyes, but he didn’t care.

All he could think about as he swam desperately across the cave was your motionless form in his arms.

Then suddenly, he could see the form of the torch on the boat, and he finally pulled his head out of the water, desperately gasping for air.

He handed you to your father and helped him to get you on the boat, before climbing onboard himself, rubbing his painful eyes.

“She’s not breathing,” Reepicheep whispered.

The elder man made a movement to lean towards you, but Caspian was faster, taking your face in his hands.

“Y/N! Y/N, can you hear me?”

Your eyes were closed, and your eyelids still. Your skin was frozen under his fingers, your lips blue instead of their usual red shade.

“You can’t do that to me,” he whispered.

He pressed several times his palms against your chest, forcing the water out of your lungs.

And soon you were choking and expulsing the salty water out of your system.

When you could breathe enough to open your eyes, the first thing you saw was a drenched Caspian…

And you grinned at the sight.

“Y/N?”

He held you tightly against him, cradling you in his strong arms.

“I knew you’d come,” you whispered in his ear, feeling him shake against you. “I knew you would find me.”

“It’s all right…” he said, his voice trembling, and you knew he was trying to convince himself that all this was over as much as he wanted to convince you. “You’re safe now. You’re safe, you’ll be just fine. It’s okay.”

You took his face in your hands, forcing him to look at you so you could kiss tenderly his lips.

You were both exhausted, and dirty, and wet, and cold, but it didn’t matter. He tasted like the sea. And it was perfect…

“Next time,” you whispered, your tone teasing. “Try not to be so late at saving me, right?”

He laughed.

“Next time, don’t act so recklessly, right?”

“But I thought you loved the lioness in me…”

He dropped a sweet kiss on your forehead.

“I do,” he said, smiling. “But don’t you dare scare me like this ever again.”

Finally you broke your embrace, laughing, before you turned to your father and Reepicheep.

“Thank you,” you breathed to your saviours.

“A knight of Narnia could never leave a Lady alone in an hour of need,” the mouse replied, bending elegantly, making you laugh.

Then, you turned to your father. But he didn’t say a thing. You expected him to be angry, to shout about how reckless you had been. But instead, he didn’t say a word and merely held you tightly in his arms for a while.

“Well…” he finally said, drying his cheeks and freeing you from his tight embrace. “I guess now that I don’t really have a choice.”

Both Caspian and you looked at him questioningly.

“How could I refuse my daughter’s hand to the man who saved her life?”

————————————————————————————————————

Dalon had been arrested, along with the rest of his men. Your testimony was enough for the trial to send him in prison for a long time. And the unrest in the Northern parts of Narnia had stopped after Dalon and his men had been stopped. There was peace again.

Your father had finally started to accept the idea of Caspian being his son-in-law. You couldn’t say that he was _pleased_ , but he was getting used to it.

You took a deep breath as the wind carried to you the fragrance of roses and wild flowers, listening to the sound of the breeze brushing the leaves of the trees, closing your eyes. The sun was warming your skin. You felt so peaceful…

“Aren’t you supposed to finish preparing our wedding?”

You merely smiled, not opening your eyes as you felt Caspian sitting next to you on your bench. You brushed your toes on the soft grass of the gardens.

“Everything is ready,” you answered. “You’re the one who is not where he should be.”

“Oh… am I now?” Caspian asked, crossing his arms before his chest, an amused smile on his lips.

You finally opened your eyes and looked at him.

“Theoretically, you’re not supposed to see the bride the day before your wedding,” you said.

“That’s a very stupid rule,” he replied.

“It’s still a rule.”

He shifted closer to you, brushing a lock of your hair away from your face, his fingertips lingering on your cheek and sending butterflies to your stomach..

“I think I’ll take the risk to get arrested,” he said.

“That’s very reckless of you.”

“You’re having a bad influence on me.”

“Me?” you said, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded slowly, looking down at your lips.

“And now that you made me so reckless, I think I’ll take another risk. Much bigger.”

“Which risk?”

“I’ll break this rule of yours again. It’s worth it.”

And before you could reply, he was pressing his lips to yours.


End file.
